Injustice: The Path to Hell
Birds of Prey
Chapter LXIX - Maelstrom
Monday 5th July 2010, 12:05.
New Jersey,
Gotham City,
Gotham Heights.
Sighing, Esau dropped the bag holding his Black Hood uniform on the floor and kicked it underneath the bed before sitting down on the single bed. The room itself was pretty spartan, but that was to be expected as no one used this room much anymore and the only reason it hadn't been turned into an office or storage room was purely because Jim wanted to make this Esau's room. Even when Esau had gotten older and content to live his life on his own without help, Jim had always held onto that hope that as soon as Black Mask was finished, Esau would come to live with him.
Sadly, besides the odd sleepover here and there, the room hadn't seen much used and therefore, it hadn't seen much in the way of decoration besides basic necessities.
Still, Esau could not deny that it felt like home.
It was something Esau hadn't experienced in a long time, not even when living at Slade's numerous safehouses. Even though each was much bigger and certainly more extravagant, none had the homey feeling that Esau hadn't realised how much he had come to miss.
"Esau, can I come in?" Barbara asked, knocking on the door as she did so.
"Yeah, sure." He replied and the door opened with Barbara stepping in holding a cardboard box. "What's this?" He asked, moving forward to take the box and took a look inside.
His eyes widened as he rushed to put it down on the bed and slowly picked up the picture frame of him, Joan and Bill on his seventh birthday.
It was the last picture of them together before Bill was killed in a 'tragic accident.'
"Dad managed to get hold of your stuff after it was shot up, brought it all here. There's a few more in the garage with all your clothes in." She paused taking in the smile on Esau's face as he looked at the picture of his parents. "But I thought you might appreciate this one more."
Turning to her, Esau pulled her into a hug, something Barbara returned happily. "I do, thank you." His breath hitched slightly as the emotions hit him and Barbara just tightened her hug as a sign of support.
"Don't mention it." She whispered back and as they broke apart, Barbara sat down on the other side of the box, looking at a few of the photos including herself and the two sat in silence for a time, just looking at the pictures and reminiscing on memories.
But like always, neither liked the silence between them to last too long.
Whether it be arguing or simply talking, both had to say something eventually. "You know, Batman offered me a place on that team of yours. You know the one with all the sidekicks on it." Barbara perked up, turning her gaze away from, the picture of five-year-old her and Esau dressed as foxes, big smiles on both their faces that were covered in chocolate.
"He did?" Despite being confused, she should have suspected that Bruce would try something like this. "What did you say?"
"I said I'd think about it." Esau's answered with a shrug. "Ever since Cadmus, I've not really known what to do with myself."
"Esau," Barbara spoke up getting Esau to turn his attention to her. "That's to be expected, you were experimented on for over half a year, and not knowing what to do with your life is kind of normal. I wouldn't know myself, but I know from experience that traumatic events change people."
Esau nodded his head. "Yeah I know, it's just, I've been feeling like this for a while. Before Cadmus, before Arkham, even before the Court of Owls. You know I was actually planning to stop being Black Hood after Black Mask." She didn't know that and Barbara watched as Esau shook his head with a low chuckle. "Yea planned to give up. I was free from Black Mask and could finally live my life. But then, well you know what happened next."
Barbara did know and not for the first time, Barbara felt real anger at Bruce.
There were many things that Bruce did which were frustrating and even make her angry.
But nothing on this level.
Esau was going to give it up and live his life as Esau, not Black Hood.
Everything that followed, all the things that took place could have all been avoided if Bruce hadn't dragged Esau back into this life.
"But you know, in a way, I'm glad I got taken to Cadmus and everything that happened." Barbara looked at him in shock, unable to comprehend what he was saying. "It helped me realise that I haven't really been living my life the way I want to. After my mum died I was living the way Black Mask wanted me to. I even became Black Hood because I was scared and, to be honest, everything I've done up until now has all been because I've been scared."
"But now?" She asked, almost nervous to hear his answer.
"I feel at peace." He answered with a smile on his face. "Unlike my dad, I never really got over my mum's death and I've been terrified of Black Mask since he first visited me and mum soon after my dad's death. Everything I've done since then has been because I'm scared. Scared of dying, scared of not being in control of my own life, scared of losing people I cared about. Scared of losing you."
There was a short pause as Barbara digested what he had said and she felt her cheeks heat up.
Then he continued. "I don't really remember much about what happened at Cadmus. It comes in flashes and I'm thankful for that. But I do remember just floating in this endless void of darkness. There was nothing there and it was fucking terrifying I'll tell you that much." He snorted in amusement as if he told a funny joke that only he understood. "But then I heard her voice."
"Whose?" Barbara asked.
"My mums. And I didn't just hear her, I saw her as well. I don't know how or why, but I was reliving my memories again and I won't lie to you, I hated every moment of it." His breath hitched once more as he thought back to it all. "It was torturous, seeing her, hearing her. Yet not able to touch her, talk to her and tell her how much I miss her."
Despite her eyes becoming slightly glassy due to the tears, Barbara could clearly see that he too had tears gathering in the corner of his eyes. However, he was also smiling sadly as if he was happy and sad at the same time.
"I felt something inside of me snap at that moment." Esau continued. "Memory after memory went by and I paid them no attention just raging. But looking back on it now, I guess you could say I had an epiphany of sorts."
This time, she giggled lightly his moment of levity catching her off guard and breaking the sad atmosphere that had been forming.
"An epiphany, are you telling me you found religion?" She teased and Esau just gave her a mock scowl.
In response, Barbara just looked at him innocently only to shriek in fright as Esau lunged for her, quickly jumping away.
"No, I did not find religion," Esau replied dryly, sitting back down on the bed as Barbara did the same. "I just realised that everything that happened, between me and you." Both of them frowned at the reminder of how things had gone from bad to worse in their relationship. "That at the end of the day, I was scared that you not telling me was a sign that you were leaving me."
"You know that's not true." She exclaimed.
"I know, but I can't help but be afraid and I lashed out the only way I knew how. It was wrong and I'm sorry about that." He apologised with a sad smile on his face.
Barbara shook her head. "You don't need to apologise, I should have told you sooner."
"No, you shouldn't have. Both of us know that if we went back, we'd do the same because we were trying to save the other. You shouldn't apologise for that." Esau explained and Barbara bit her bottom lip, knowing that what Esau said was the truth. If she could go back, she would do precisely what Esau said, she wouldn't tell him about her being Batgirl because she would make sure that he would be free of Black Mask sooner.
She could keep her identity as Batgirl secret while allowing Esau to live a new life, a better life.
Barbara wouldn't apologise for that and neither would Esau accept it because because he wasn't going to apologise for doing the same thing.
"So...what do we do from here?" Barbara asked nervously, hoping that Esau would not push her away, yet knowing that could also be a possibility.
"We've done something shit. I guess," he looked at Barbara with a smile. "We could try and put it behind us?"
"Yeah, I'd like that." Barbara agreed with a smile.
Sunday 18th July 2010, 18:00.
New Jersey,
Gotham City,
Gotham Heights.
Grunting, Esau cracked his neck as he leaned against the wall beside an abandoned phone booth, dressed in nothing more than his workout clothes, Esau waited patiently as time ticked by slowly.
His time over the past few days had been...fun.
Things between Esau and Barbara had been awkward at first, even after their chat, but over the course of the next few days, things seemed to ease off. Awkward conversations became more comfortable and common, something that had made them both more than happy, even Jim had been pleased to see them both getting along.
However, while Esau had nothing to do, both Jim and Barbara did.
Jim had work and Barbara was spending time over at the new team's location, Esau didn't know its exact location, only having learned that it was in Rhode Island. The whereabouts of the base he did not know as Barbara had been tight-lipped, but Esau had expected that the location was a safe house that could put a group of young heroes' lives at risk if revealed. Yet while things had calmed down and left Esau with plenty of alone time, he still hadn't managed to come to a decision on what he wanted to do with his life.
"You came?" Batman's gruff voice spoke as he stepped out from the shadows.
Esau pushed off the wall. "Well, I haven't got a clue on what else to do with my life so I thought I might as well do this and get paid. Don't expect this to be a permanent thing though, I'm only doing this till I have an idea of what I want to actually do with my life." Batman gave a short nod to show that he understood and opened the sliding door to the phone booth. "Okay, now I'm confused?"
"Zeta-Beam technology, it's what the League uses to get to specific locations quickly."
"So teleportation basically?" Again, Batman gave a short nod which told Esau that while teleportation was the simplistic and basic of Zeta-Beam technology, it was not the whole truth. "Before we go, I want a new suit. Consider it my initial payment."
"A new suit?"
"Well, I don't exactly have my Marauder one as for my Black Hood. Well, I think you already know why I don't want to wear that seen as though you were following me." Batman didn't deny this statement and instead stared at Esau. "Look, you can either provide me with the suit or I'm just gonna walk away. You said you wanted me to lead this team so help me out here."
Again there was silence.
"Very well," Batman responded shortly. "It will take me a few days to get one sorted out."
"That's fine. I didn't expect you to have one ready anyway." Esau explained with a shrug before looking at the phone booth. "So how do we do this?"
"Input." A panel opened up and Batman then turned to Esau. "Seen as though Black Hood is no longer who you are, choose a code name. Your designation number is, B07." Stepping to one side, Batman allowed Esau to step into the booth.
"So I just say my designation number followed by a code name of my choosing?" Batman nodded his head and Esau turned to the panel. "B07." The panel flashed and Esau took a few moments to consider what he should choose to call himself.
As Batman said Black Hood was not who Esau was anymore, they were too different.
As for Marauder, it just didn't feel right.
Thinking about what he could choose, his mind replayed a memory he saw when at Cadmus.
Flashback Begins
"Well, what do we have here?" Bill asked in bemusement as he walked into the living room to find toys strewn everywhere, cushions thrown around the room and Joan lying on the floor as Esau sat on her stomach. "It looks like a storm struck."
"Dad!" Esau cries out happily, rushing to hug Bill who kneeled down to pick him up off the floor.
"Hey there, kiddo." Kissing Esau's temple, Bill leaned forward to kiss his wife, both taking amusement in hearing Esau's sounds of disgust. "So, who do we have to blame for this mess?" He asked and without skipping a beat, Esau pointed an accusatory finger at his mother.
"Mum did it!"
"I did not!" Joan cried out in mock outrage, taking Esau from Bill's hand and tickling him mercilessly. "Confess, you little traitor."
Chuckling, Bill took another look around the room and shook his head in fond amusement. "Well, I do believe you've outdone yourself, dear," Bill said blandly and Joan just looked up at him with narrowed eyes.
"Oh, you think so." She muttered quietly a beautiful smile that sent chills up his spine, yet Bill kept the teasing smirk on his face. "Then you won't mind cleaning it up for me while I get this troublemaker ready." Shaking his head, realising he dug himself into this hole, Bill just bowed theatrically.
"Yes, dear." He then looked to Esau who was smiling happily. "Are you sure Jim's going to want this one wrecking his home too? You know what he and Barbara are like."
"I think it's adorable," Joan replied fondly, placing Esau on the floor and ushering him upstairs. "Now go on, my little Maelstrom, upstairs you go. I've laid your clothes out on your bed."
Flashback Ends
'Maelstrom.' He recounted his mother's favourite nickname for him and with a sad smile at the memory of her, Esau repeated it aloud. "Maelstrom."
So, another chapter is done and I hope you all enjoyed it. Anyway, if you have any questions or suggestions, please let me know.
TFTC